Before They Hit it Big Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Hollies

Graham Nash was one of the original members of the Hollies when they formed in 1962. They began recording cover songs but started making regular chart appearances in the UK and US when they began composing their own songs. Graham Nash wanted the band to explore different styles but co-founder Alan Clark preferred to stay with the formula that was working.
The departure was amicable. As a tribute to his character Graham Nash completed every Hollies date that was already scheduled at the time he announced he was leaving, He was replaced by Terry Sylvester, a member of the Swinging Blue Jeans.
The Hollies went on to have chart success with songs including "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and "Long Cool Woman in A Black Dress". Nash went on to explore his varied musical interests with CSN. One of their earliest gigs was Woodstock.
The Searchers lineup included Mike Prendergast, Tony Jackson, John McNally and Mike Pender. The Tremeloes formed in Dagenham, Essex, in 1958 and charted sixties hits including "Here Comes My Baby" and "Silence is Golden". They had a 40th anniversary reunion tour in 2006.
Interesting fact; Graham Gouldman wrote Hollies' hits "Look Through and Window" and "Bus Stop". He went on to be a founding member of 10CC in 1972.

Answer: The Raspberries

Wally Bryson and Eric Carmen co-wrote one of the Raspberries top hits, "Please Go All the Way". The song made the Top Ten in 1972. Their first album was released in 1972 and they followed up with four more albums and a greatest hits compilation before Eric began his solo career in 1975 with the "Eric Carmen" LP.
"All by Myself" was a hit the following year. He continued to make occasional chart appearances through the next two decades with "Hungry Eyes" in 1987 and "Make Me Lose Control" the following year. "Hungry Eyes" was on the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack.
The Electric Prunes was a psychedelic group in the late sixties who contributed two songs to the "Easy Rider" soundtrack. Moby Grape was one of the sixties Bay Area regulars. Strawberry Alarm Clock was an LA area band known for their hit, "Incense and Peppermints", in 1967.
Interesting fact; Eric Carmen wrote Shaun Cassidy's 1977 hit, "Deanie" after being inspired by Natalie Wood's character in "Splendor in the Grass" (1961).

Answer: Poco

Jim Messina was one of the founding members of Poco and performed vocal and guitar duties for the band. He was featured on two studio albums and a live album before he left to do production work for Columbia Records. It was there that he met Kenny Loggins and provided production and backup for Loggins' album. The two formed a partnership and the album featured Jim's name on it when it was released. They worked together for over five years before pursuing their individual interests.
Don Williams was a member of The Pozo-Seco Singers from 1965 to 1970, then went on to have a solo Country music career. New Riders of the Purple Sage formed in San Francisco in 1969. Big Brother and the Holding Company was a Bay Area band that became known for backing Janis Joplin.
Interesting fact: Jim composed the song "Carefree Country Day" on Buffalo Springfield's 1968 "Last Time Around" album.

Answer: Rick Astley

Rick Astley was playing in a soul band called FBI when he came to the attention of executives at PWL recording studio in the eighties. His first single, "When You Gonna", was a duet with Lisa Carter that wasn't a chart success. He followed up in 1987 with a solo release titled "Never Gonna Give You Up" and had a hit on his hands. He followed up with "Together Forever". "Together Forever" and "Never Gonna Give You Up" both topped the US Billboard charts.
Peter Gabriel went on to solo success and released four consecutive solo albums that were all simply titled "Peter Gabriel" but with different cover art. Mike Rutherford released hits with his band, "Mike and the Mechanics", after forming in 1985. Tony Banks released solo efforts but did not reach the acclaim that Rutherford and Gabriel did. He has also done film soundtrack work.
Interesting fact; Risk Astley earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist of the Year in 1989 but lost to Tracy Chapman.

Answer: The Jeff Beck Group

Faces and Jeff Beck Group both counted Rod as their singer. The Jeff Beck Group formed in London in 1967 when Beck left the Yardbirds and was replaced by Jimmy Page. The key players included Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood.
The Small Faces had hits with "Itchycoo Park" and "Lazy Sunday". The Small Faces lineup consisted of Ian McLagan, Steve Marriot, Kenney Jones and Ronnie Lane from 1965 to 1969. Steve Marriot joined Humble Pie in 1969. Kenney Jones replaced Keith Moon in The Who. After key members left The Small Faces for solo careers the remaining members recruited new members, changed their name to Faces and began backing Rod Stewart in 1970. Jimmy Page reformed the Yardbirds as Jimmy Page's Yardbirds to honor the band's remaining gigs after other members left. He then went on to help form Led Zeppelin. Ronnie Wood was recruited by the Rolling Stones when Mick Taylor left the band in the seventies. Soft Machine was a progressive rock band that toured on the same bill with Jimi Hendrix.
Interesting fact; In 1962 Stewart joined The Ray Davies Quartet as a singer. After one gig with the band they let him go and went on to fame as The Kinks.

Answer: Harvey andThe Moonglows

The Moonglows had several Doo-wop hits in the fifties beginning with "Sincerely" in 1954. Harvey Fuqua was the lead singer and preferred a rhythm and blues sound. Fellow singer Bobby "Lester" Dallas gravitated toward romantic ballads. In the late fifties Fuqua recruited Marvin Gaye and he sang and did narrations on several releases. When Fuqua disbanded the group in 1960 to work with Gordy Berry's sister, Anna, Marvin became part of the Motown team. He worked as a session drummer and eventually was signed as a singer.
The Penguins had one of the earliest Doo-wop hits with "Earth Angel". The Monotones became a one-hit Doo-wop group when they released "The Book of Love" in 1958. The Rivingtons were a West Coast Doo-wop group that later released unusual hits like "Pa Pa Ooh Mow Mow" and "The Bird's the Word".
Interesting fact; When Marvin signed with Motown Records it was originally in the capacity of A&R man.

Answer: Joe Cocker

Joe Cocker was billed as Joe Cocker and the Grease Band when they performed at Woodstock. They formed in 1966 and were playing in pubs and local venues when producer Denny Cordell added Cocker to his stable of artists that included the Moody Blues, Georgie Fame and Procol Harem.
The Grease Band temporarily disbanded while Cocker tried a solo career but soon reformed to back him on tour dates. They were booked into several festival gigs such as The Denver Pop Festival and Newport Rock Festival when Denny Cordell arranged for them to be included in the Woodstock lineup. They had performed four songs and when they were completing their fifth song, "With a Little Help from My Friends", it started raining. The year after Woodstock, Cocker joined the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour for a year and then embarked on a world wide tour as a solo artist. He was backed by sormer members of the Grease Band.
Gary Brooker sang for Procol Harem. Denny Laine was with The Moody Blues and Wings. Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames charted hits in the US and UK and were the only British act to join the Motown Revue when it toured England in the sixties. Georgie was also a founding member of Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings.
Interesting fact; The Beatles were impressed with Cocker's rendition of "With a Little Help from My Friends" and gave Cocker the rights to include "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" and "Something" on his subsequent album.

Answer: Bluesology

As a teen Reginald Dwight divided his time between solo pub gigs and working for a music store while forming and playing in Bluesology. Other members included guitarist Caleb Quaye and saxophone player Elton Dean. Reginald had to focus more attention on Bluesology when they were asked to back Major Lance, Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles, Doris Troy, The Isley Brothers and other visiting US acts. They were also Long John Baldry's regular backing band.
When Gentle Giant and King Crimson were forming and hiring singers Reginald auditioned but was rejected. He then responded to an ad in "New Musical Express" placed by the A&R man for Liberty Records. He was given some lyrics by Bernie Taupin and the rest is history.
Reginald was asked to sub on some touring dates with Simon Dupree and the Big Sound but was never a member of the band.
Caleb Quaye did recording and touring work for Elton when he started his career as Elton John. Elton Dean formed Soft Machine in 1969 after Bluesology disbanded.
Interesting fact; Reginald took Elton Dean's first name and combined it with Baldry's first name to come up with Elton John.

Answer: Randy Meisner

Nebraska native Randy Meisner worked in local bands then headed for LA with a band called The Poor. The Poor wasn't earning a lot of money so he began doing studio dates for various artists. He worked on Poco's debut album, "Pickin' Up the Pieces" and was considered to be their regular bass player before hiring on with Rick Nelson in 1970. The Poco bass slot went to Timothy B. Schmit.
Meisner's playing can be heard on Nelson's "Concert at the Troubadour" LP and his 1971 "Rudy The Fifth" album. He also occasionally did session tracks with the Stone Poneys, Linda Ronstadt's backing band. He met fellow Stone Poney members Bernie Leadon, Don Henley and Glenn Frey and together they formed the Eagles in 1971. After the release of their debut album the following year the success of the Eagles put an end to any of Meisner's other projects. He stayed with the band until after the "Hotel California" album in 1975, when he left because of the grueling touring and recording schedules.
Interesting fact; Meisner was replaced by Poco's bass player, Timothy B. Schmit, when he left the Eagles.

Answer: David Bowie

When "Space Oddity" was released as a David Bowie single in 1969 his days of toiling in bands was over. In 1970 he released "The Man Who Sold the World" followed in with a concept album titled "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars". He supported the album with a tour as Ziggy Stardust in 1972. In 1974 he released "Diamond Dogs" and embarked on another supporting tour. In the eighties he had hits with "Let's Dance", "China Girl" and "Modern Love". Despite a heart attack in 2004 Bowie continued to occasionally perform and was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award two years later.
Sir David Essex burst onto the scene in 1973 with "Rock On". He earned an OBE because of his work as an ambassador for Voluntary Service Overseas in the nineties.
Paul Francis Gadd charted over 25 singles on the UK charts as Gary Glitter. Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno worked with David Bowie on "Berlin Trilogy" and was instrumental in the rise of Devo.
Interesting fact; Jimmy Page played the guitar solo on "I Pity the Fool". The flip side contained the first David Bowie composition to appear on a record, "Take My Tip".